St. Paul daily globe., 1887-08-29
THE ANDOVER CONTROVERSY
Discussed in a Sermon by Rev.
w. j. LhamOn.

Discussed in Sermon by Rev.
w. j. LhamOn.
Rev. w. j. LhamOn preached at the
Church of Christ on the text of 1.-The
Bible VS.. Biblical Reasons" His text,
1.-The entrance of Thy word giveth
light" was from Psalms 1880.
The AndOver controversy about the
future of those who are ChriStleSS here
has led to some interesting questions
other than itself. AS to the new the
OlOgy | have nothing to say 10 day,
except that il is older than much that
boasts its age. The question of the
future is not the main one in that
theology, but only one of those minor
matters about which men are apt to
make much ado. do not even pass an
opinion on it now, for opinions are
about all one has to pass on such ques-
tiOnS, except the dictum of scripture,
and to many that is not quite pleasant.
| mention this AndOver matter only.
as an occasion of saying something on
this subject of ''The Bible VS.. Biblical
Reasons" Some time ago Mr.. Bowen,
the editor of the independent, wrote to
Prof. Smythe, of AndOver, asking for
the scripture texts that teach the doc
trines of probation beyond the grave.
Instead of plying the scriptures, Prof.
Smythe asked the privilege of giving
biblical reasons" for that doctrine.
This Mr.. Bowen declined, saying that
his readers now wanted the Bible on the
subject. So far the Bible OH the subject
has not been given. It's presumed that
it will not be given.
''Bible against Biblical Reasons" that
our subject, and our text is 1.-The
entrance of Thy word giveth light"
1t is easier to talk than to act; more
pleasant to speculate than to give aims;
more eonSOnant with intellectual pride
in keeping with the ''old Adam in
man to dOgmatiZe about orthodoxy than
to play the Good Samaritan; highly
helpful to our religious laZiness to build
a hope that the Christless here may
possibly become Christlike hereafter; a
tonic to the conscience to reflect that we
are all right on the creed though we
may never have saved soul. The
Bible is an intensely practical book. 1t
is easier to talk about it than to obey it;
easier to abuse it than to use it. Among
the foremost nations on the globe the
Bible is a recognized authority on
morality and religion. Because of that
there is no book more liable to perver-
sion. Men like to have their religion
and morality cut like their coats, to
their measure. So they piece out the
Bible to suit themselves. Shakespeare
asks:
What error so damned, but some sober brow
Will bless it and approve il with text,
Hiding its grossness with fair ornament?
There is not formulated creed in
ChristendOm, whether orthodox or
heterodoX, but rests on biblical reas-
Ons'' rather than on the Bible. The
verrieSt hereticS that ever were abroad
quote the Bible as tluently as the can
nonized saints themselves. Out of the
same soil and sunlight there grow the
oak and the poison ivy. Just so out of
the Bible there grow both Christians
and CampelliteS, CalvinistS and Arm
inianS, TrinitarianS and Unitarians, and
all the rest of that wonderful progeny of
There are ''Bible reasons" for the
saloon, for polygamy and for dancing.
There are "Bible reasons for all sorts
of religious fanaticism and eXtrava-
gance; for superstition, cruelty, perse-
cution and bigOtry. One can find ''Bible
reasons for anything he likes and
against anything he dislikes. He has
simply to parcel it out to suit himself,
slip in suppOsition here, an iuterpreta-
ton there, make false application in
still another place, cap the climax with
a syllOgiSm, and he has precisely what
he wants. bible reasons" are cheap.
They cost nothing but bit of misspent
time, and pleaSurable exercise of mis-
chievouS ingenuity.
cannot refrain from applying this
fact of the abuse of the Bible to the
principles and practices of our divided
PrOte StantiSm. The most Christian
people have come to look upon divisions
the AndOver professors when they call
sectarianiSm a sin. Yet there is not a
divisive principle or practice, nor de-
nOminational name in ChristendOm to-
day, but has "Bible reasons" of the sort
in hand fol its existence. The Bible it
self is good and wholesome food for the
souls of mankind. 1t helps the holy
living and dying of all who will live and
die holly by it. | am not called upon
here to eulOgiZe the Bible, but simply
to say that it is Bible application
rather than Bible Interpretation that we
all need. just as the hungry man needs
food rather than learned lectures about
it. With really hungry man all the
orthodox cook books in ChriStendOm
could not take the place of single
DQhCo pObutos hIi tilub 10 ONCO III
Bible may be taken simply and natur-
ally into the soul. 1t is heavens bread
ready baked. 1t needs not the conse-
Grafton nor the Interpretation of
preacher, priest or pope. Let Jesus
break the lOaveS, and blessed be they
who simply pass the fragments from his
hands to the peoples laps. The entrance
of Thy word giveth light. Light and
life are conjoined, one might almost say
in the relation of cause and effect, in all
the world around us. Where light goes
life goes, so that the Psalmist might al
most as well have said the entrance
of Thy word giveth life.
The word of words is the "wOrd made
flesh" That word is Christ. The en-
trance of that word lights up all the dark
domain of mans life. Is your pathway
obscure? You will see one very plain
where Jesus walks. Have you doubts
as to your duty? He will put love to
God and man uppermOst within you,
and tell you to act from that motive.
Does this world treat you cruelty? Are
you dOwncast and in despair? Does
there seem to you no object in all this
trial and failure? Are you almost COM
PEELED to the belief that life is at best
but troublesome nightmare, and that
the sooner it goes out in an eternally
unconscious sleep the better? Turn to
Christ; he will make you feel that